The present invention relates generally to computer network security and, more particularly, to a method and system for preventing password theft through unauthorized keylogging.
Keylogging is a technological process of monitoring computer activity by recording, transmitting, and examining the characters typed on a computer keyboard. This technique is sometimes used by employers monitoring employee productivity, typically involving clerical tasks. Other, more nefarious implementations of keylogging programs involve espionage, such as those embodied in spyware programs. These programs attempt to gather confidential information, such as a text string including an account name and password, and particularly a text string of keyboard strokes following input of a particular web site address. For example, a mouse click on a web browser icon displays the configured home page. A keyboard is used to enter a secure banking web site URL in the address input box. Following that, an account number and password are keyed in to the respective input fields. The keystrokes entered on the keyboard are recorded by a malicious spyware program, and that sequence of keystrokes is sent to an unknown third party for possible fraudulent use.
Keylogging programs, once installed and activated on a computer system, are extremely difficult to detect. Commercial and freeware spyware detection programs are available, but they are only useful against identified threats listed in the anti-spyware definitions file. However, new and more recent variations of spyware keylogger programs may not be identified by standard anti-spyware detection programs.
Keylogging programs generally work on the principle of detecting basic input/output system (BIOS) signals sent from what is assumed to be a standard keyboard layout (e.g., “QWERTY”, “DVORAK”, or other standard international keyboard layouts). Windows Vista and other popular operating systems and application software enable “re-mapping” of a computer keyboard. While this technique will thwart keyloggers, it is largely unused by the majority of computer users because the remapped keyboard departs from what is traditionally coordinated with the “muscle memory” of touch typists familiar with standard keyboard layouts. Other solutions to thwart keylogging involve displaying a keyboard on a monitor, from which input letters are selected with the mouse to enter the alphabetic and numeric characters in the input fields into the web form area which is used to contain the password. A variation of this method is to copy and paste the confidential information from a file. However, such approaches carry the risk of being defeated by hackers through the use of capturing and transmitting screen shots of completed forms, which are then analyzed for the confidential information.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to provide an improved method and system for preventing password theft through unauthorized keylogging.